One Pot Pasta

Ingredients:
12 ounces uncooked pasta
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped or dried (1 tsp)
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:
Place uncooked pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired . Season to taste with salt and pepper , stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.  

Shrimp Tacos

•  20 medium shrimp (I'm lazy and just buy the cooked frozen kind in the bag, and just defrost and remove the tails)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 flour tortillas
• oil for frying
• shredded lettuce
• diced tomatoes
• sliced avocado
• cilantro lime sour cream (see below)

For the Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream:

• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• juice and zest from one lime (or less, to taste)
• salt to taste

Instructions:

1. In a bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper (if using). Add in shrimp and toss to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to give the flavors a chance to marry.
2. Cook shrimp in a skillet on medium heat until pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.
3. Use enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of a small pan, about 2 tablespoons. Heat over medium-high heat. Cook tortillas one at a time until soft, about 30 seconds on each side. Fold over to make a taco shell. As you cook each tortilla, place them on paper towels to absorb any of the oil left over.
4. Stir all ingredients for the Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream together in a bowl.
5. Spoon 5 shrimp into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, avocado and cilantro-lime sour cream.
6. Serve.

 

Texas Pulled Pork - Crockpot Recipe

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast or pork butt
1 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder (more if you like a kick)
1 extra large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)
8 hamburger buns, split
2 tablespoons butter, or as needed

Directions
1. Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours (or you can cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours).

2. Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.

3. Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter. Toast the buns, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Spoon pork into the toasted buns.

Energy Bites

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips OR raisins
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all above thoroughly. Roll into bit size balls. Store in an air-tight container and keep refrigerated for up to one week.

Baked Fish - Haddock or Cod

Sauce - 2 servings (adjust for amount of fish you want to cook)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 lemon, juiced
splash of white wine (optional)

Fish:
approx 1/2 lb fish per serving, cut into 1" cubes
10-12 Ritz Crackers, crumbled fine

Place each 1/2 lb serving of fish into individual serving dishes. Sprinkle top with Ritz cracker crumbs. Equally distribute sauce over fish servings. Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes until done.

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

-Olive Oil
-Popcorn kernels
-Paper bags

Add 1/4 – 1/2 a cup of kernels to the paper bag.

Add .5 – 1 TBSP of olive oil to the bag and give a gentle shake.

Fold down the bag 2 or 3 times and place in microwave for 2 minutes.

Pour into a serving bowl and season as desired.

Mom's Super Easy Pizza Dough Recipe

1 pkg dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup warm water
1 2/3 cups flour
¾ tsp salt
2 tsp oil
Oil for pan
1 ½ Tbsp cornmeal for pan

Stir yeast and sugar into warm water and let stand until foamy – about 10 min

Insert metal blade in food processor and mix flour and salt

Pour in yeast mixture through the feed tube and process about 45 sec. until dough
pulls away from side of bowl

Add oil through feed tube and process 1+ min until soft and pliable ( I process for
about 3-4 min until dough is quite smooth)

Roll and pull dough into circle shape

Lightly Oil black fry pan – sprinkle with cornmeal place circle of dough into pan

To make a pizza...

Add 1 – 2 Tbsp sauce, cheese and toppings and bake at 425 for 18-20 min or until
done